What inspired you to become a DJ and how did you get into it?

Well back in the mid 90’s I was increasingly buying more and more club tunes on single; in particular the prog and trance stuff on Hooj Tunes and Perfecto (I miss Hooj tunes – great label!). I started Uni in 97, so I spent my student loan on buying some decks and a mixer, and seeing as I was buying tunes anyway, I thought I might as well have some fun with them and started buying vinyl’s instead!! I just used to practice a lot, hosting parties in my room to show off my new “skills” (or lack thereof at the time!). The rest as they say is history (and a hell of a lot of hard work)!

As superclub ‘Es Paradis’ resident for 3 yrs, did Ibiza and the scene ever get a bit samey or did you love every minute?

I loved every minute!! Es Paradis often gets looked down on as a venue, mainly because it’s in San An and isn’t pitch black in there. But sound quality wise, it’s one of the best clubs on the island - wherever you stand it’s always crystal clear. Let’s not forget how beautiful the club is too - plus the atmosphere in there is incredible when it’s full to its 5000 capacity! As for the island, it’s not like you can get bored! – there’s so many places to explore and escape to. Ibiza really is the place in the world that feels the most like a home to me.

You’ve also played for Slinky in Tokyo and Ibiza with MTV; that must have been pretty huge?

Tokyo was an awesome (and surreal) experience – probably 6 of the best months of my life. Every Friday and Saturday we were live on MTV, with guest DJ's like Carl Cox, Derrick Carter, Ferry Corsten, Tiesto, Jeff Mills, Eric Morillo, just to name a few! Everyone who was anyone played at that club during that time, so was such a great experience. There was a lot a surreal stuff that happened out there, but I think the funniest bit was when I appeared on a trendy comedy TV show, pretending to mix with two plates of sausages as decks – very bizarre but very funny! Hahaha!

Do you feel that you've always had a characteristic sound or has it changed a lot over the years?

I’ve always had a broad love of music, as anyone who’s ever seen my cd collection will tell you. When I first started DJ'ing, I played trance and was by reputation a “trance DJ”. But I was always buying funky, tribal and progressive house, breaks, even a little bit of techno! However, about 3 years ago I switched over from trance as there was nothing fresh coming out of that scene and I was much more excited by the dirtier electronic sounds in the prog and tech-house scene. I think now more than ever, my varied taste is very much apparent in my sets. They all usually crossover various genres and hybrids – borrowing from electro, tech-house, minimal, breaks, prog and even funky chunky techno! It’s sounds so cheesy and clichéd, but I prefer to just play music that makes people dance rather than pigeon hole myself into a specific genre.

So what makes you so passionate about music?

I’ve always been passionate about my music – It’s just something that’s always been there in me – I love the fact that you can change the way you feel or your mood in just a second by playing a song! It’s crazy!

You’ve played so many different genres of house music, what’s your favourite?

I just like good tracks that make me smile, dance, or pull a dirty bass face! Hahaha!

What made you give up the bright lights of being an international DJ superstar?

At the end of 2003 I got to a point where I’d been away from the UK for almost 3 years solid. I was constantly travelling from one country to the next, and whilst I had a great time doing it and still loved the music, I had simply fallen out of love with the industry. It’s a massive drain on your energies and your life, and at that point in time I felt I’d had enough.

Where's Alex at then, musically and mentally in 2006/2007?

Mentally?? – lets not go there! Haha! But the nice thing for me is that having enjoyed a moderation of success over the years, the pressure is off in terms of trying to prove myself. So whilst I’m as driven as ever to do well and succeed, I can actually allow myself to sit back and enjoy the ride for the love of it! Musically I’m really enjoying the freedom of being able to play at Dirtbox and experiment with crossing over genres and styles. I’m also really excited about finally getting into the studio and making my own stuff.

You’ve already produced one track “Last Man Standing”, and I hear your back in the studio again soon, what do you expect to achieve from producing in 2007?

Well the production side of things is still very much early days and it’s a very steep learning curve! But I’m working with a variety of engineers and DJs to help speed up the process! I’ve just finished a track with Simon Blann of Punchfunk, which we’ve called “Durty Munky”. We’re also currently working on a breaks track together too, which we’re hoping to have ready by the New Year. I’m back in the studio this week with my Dirtbox co-promoter and DJ, Pete Whitehouse. We’re planning on doing something a bit darker, more progressive and techy, but keeping the dirty feel that we like so much!

What’s your stance on the future of electronic dance music?

Music full stop has a tendency to repeat itself in cycles, and clubland is no different. The industry has changed so much in the last few years, so suddenly you don’t have to own a massive great studio to start producing tracks and you have thousands of people sitting at home making their own tunes. What this has done is create an enormous supply and choice of music for every genre which I think is fantastic. The downside to this however, seems to be that as soon as something becomes popular, everyone is making that style of music, so you can almost get too much at once and as a result that genre burns out more quickly than it used to. But I do think electronic music will continue to evolve as always, and with technology improving all the time, there will always be new ideas and boundaries to explore. It’s what makes it all so exciting.

Can you see yourself VJ’ing at any point next year, or is that taking things a bit too far?

I'm all for pushing back the boundaries and embracing new technologies, and I think VJing is a great addition to clubbing, but I have more than enough on my plate for the moment! But one day, maybe. Although I suspect Ableton will be the route I take first – it’s created a whole new ball game!

DJ groupies - pain in the arse or perk of the job!?

They come with the territory and 99% of them are great people – I’ve made a lot of great friends through DJ'ing. There’s always a few nutters though! Once when I had my back turned, I was flicking though my tunes and some guy decided to lean over the decks and ‘attempt’ some scratching. Needless to say all he managed to do was knock the needle of the record, piss everyone off, and get himself ‘removed’ early!

You’ve been DJ’ing for 10 yrs now, what keeps you doing it?

The music, the people you meet, the buzz and energy of the club scene. I just love the atmosphere you get in clubs and the high of being able to put smiles on peoples faces just from the tunes I play. The moment I stop getting excited by DJ'ing, is the moment I stop DJ'ing!

Can a DJ be a great one without having a lot of technical ability?

You can be a good DJ without having a lot of technical ability, but it’s the technical ability and being able to engage a crowd that makes a great DJ stand out from the rest. Anyone can beat match with practice, but you have to be able to read and play to a crowd, as well as realise what’s suitable to play and when.

You’ve been involved with lots of your own night’s and ventures, tell me a bit more about Dirtbox?

I’ve been promoting on and off for about 7 years now. Pete Whitehouse and I worked on a couple of nights together during 2005 and after Christmas last year we talked about the idea of starting a new night to allow us to play the dirtier stuff we were buying so much of, but not really getting a chance to play out. We invited a friend of mine, and talented DJ, Ian Judson on board, and after 6 months of planning, a lot of VERY hard work, and a hugely successful test event in March, we eventually launched Dirtbox officially in June this year.

The name amuses me, how did you come up with that?

Haha! Myself, Pete, and Ian were trying to come up with a name that wasn’t too genre specific. The night encompasses a range of styles and we wanted a name that allowed us to both be flexible on an event to event basis, as well as allowing us to evolve in the long term. However the one consistent theme for the music policy was that it was dirty so eventually narrowed it down to a few shortlisted names. It’s also not a name you forget in a hurry, and sums up nicely what our room is like when we put on a night: a box full of dirt(y tunes)!

What makes Dirtbox different from other nights in London?

Our crowds are fantastic – they really are a great bunch of party animals – slightly bonkers it must be said, but in all the right ways! That and the fact that it really is a party that we throw - there’s no pretentiousness / prima donnas allowed through our doors! Oh and of course the music is second to none!!

If you hadn’t been a DJ, what do you think you would have become?

Extremely bored! haha! Mmm, or maybe an elephant trainer...or maybe a monkey highly trained in the art of origami...or maybe a...

What’s the best and worst thing about being a DJ?

Best things the buzz you get from playing a great set and seeing the crowd go mental! I’d say the worst thing’s waiting to get on and play your set – time goes sooooo slowly! Oh that and people stereotyping who you are and what you’re like – that really bugs me.

In your opinion, what’s the best club night around at the moment, apart from your own?

There’s so many great nights around at the moment – especially in London we’re spoilt for choice. Electric Boogaloo seem to be pulling off some excellent line-ups over in Shoreditch at the minute, and I’m really looking forward to playing for them in Feb. PunchFunk is definitely one to watch out for – a great bunch of honest and decent people behind it with all the right priorities.

What’s on the radar promotion wise next year?

Plenty of stuff in the pipeline, maybe a bit too early to go into that just yet; but hopefully there should be a new night on the cards as well as taking Dirtbox further afield…so keep your ears to the ground!

Favourite producer of the moment?

So many to choose from! Obvious ones at the minute are Trentemoller, Tiga, Booka Shade, D.Ramirez, Luke Dzierzek.

Do you see yourself doing this for the rest of your life?

I don’t know about the rest of my life, but as long as I’m enjoying myself and as long as I’m getting bookings then why not eh?? If Dave Pearce can do it then there’s hope or all of us! Haha!

Finally, where’s Mr Collings seeing in New Years Eve?

I’ve had the privilege of being asked to play for Platform 12 at The Key. They’ve got The Stanton Warriors and Krafty Kuts headling, along with the uber-talented regulars, Clive Morley, Janette Slack, and Ladykilla. As things stand I believe I’m playing at 4am - I can’t wait!

Alex can be found this Friday down @ Turnmills for Dirtbox...Click here for all ticket info/guestlist and to get your names down!! And more details of his future set schedules can be found on;

MySpace

DSI Group

Dirtbox

Ceri Yates 2006 ©